Eastern Massachusetts ARRL

Bob Salow, WA1IDA writes:

The ham public service events are winding down for this year, so soon you can relax (except for the “real” disasters). Here we are at the Eighth Annual BAA Half Marathon. For the past seven years this event received huge acclaim in the athlete’s world – largely because of the skills and experience of the organizers and support staff (we are definitely a part of that). The Half is run almost entirely in Boston (2% in Brookline), with more than 5000 local, national and international athletes expected. Proceeds benefit the Jimmy Fund.

Our ham radio team has been asked again to support communications for this event doing our usual medical, water and administrative tasks. We definitely need your help – and more hams. Time is short.

The Half Marathon will be held on SUNDAY, 12 OCTOBER 2008. Time and other details are below. The course is along the length of the “Emerald Necklace” (as beautiful as you can get in Boston). The out-and-back route starts and finishes at Clemente Park in the Fenway. It follows the Riverway, Jamaicaway, and Arborway to the Franklin Park Zoo for a turnaround and return on almost the same route.
The weather is likely to be cool and the 13.1-mile course should not be a strain on the athletes. Water and medical stations are spaced appropriately. We also have assignments at several hazardous points. Our duties on the course will be to support these locations, but we also serve as observers of the runners, spectators and local residents (some of their streets are to be closed). Most stations serve both outbound and inbound runners. At Clemente Park, we have a number of fixed and roving medical assignments.

For those assigned to locations on the course, it is preferred that you come to the Start at Clemente Park at 0600. There is free (for volunteers) parking nearby. You can pick up your identity (long sleeve shirt and maybe other stuff), get last minute instructions, and then be transported to your assignment.

If you prefer to drive, you may go directly to your assigned location. I hope to have a ham course Traveler who will deliver your shirt, but this is uncertain. If you plan to drive directly to your station on the course, I may be able to send you a Vehicle Permit (as an email attachment in MS Word) for you to print out. Those assigned to course stations must be on site at 0700 so the (possible) Traveler can meet you briefly and move on. The Traveler would call your station as he approaches. Be ready and go to the Traveler’s car or bus for the ID shirt and any last minute information.

Hams assigned to posts at Clemente Park must be present at 0700 for a briefing and the amenities. Keep in mind that parking in the Fenway area is limited, so allow a few minutes to use the volunteer parking lot. Although the area is T accessible from several directions, the T may not be running at that hour – see www.mbta.com). Parking (at that hour) will also be available at the Landmark Center (formerly the Sears store) on Park Drive at Brookline Ave, but there is a charge for the Landmark parking.

The entire event should be over before 1130, and all roads will be progressively opened. This schedule is what is known now. Better details later.

Because the entire course is compact, very few repeaters need be used. Our present plan is to use both 2-meters and 70-cm, both bands with CTCSS.

WE NEED YOU TO VOLUNTEER. As in the past, we are committed to reliable, professional performance, and the requirements below lead to this goal. Please note them and sign up quickly. Our duties at this event are straight forward and are well suited for hams who have little experience at public service. Each ham must have his or her own radio and accessories – no sharing of equipment can be permitted during the event. Each ham must be self sufficient for the entire period, as we cannot assure partnered assignments.

1. For the duration of this event you are considered a member of the Boston Amateur Radio Club (BARC) and a BAA volunteer. BARC carries a liability insurance policy.

2. To assist in identification and security, you must wear a badge with your name and call sign. Your volunteer credential will be a special long-sleeve shirt provided at the beginning of the day and your bright orange “Emergency Communications” cap (available for $5.00 – let me know if you need one).

3. Our communications support is provided only by licensed Amateur Radio operators, Technician class or above. Be sure to have a good photocopy of your valid license and a call sign badge with you.

4. Because of the terrain and expected radio traffic congestion, you should have a full size antenna (that is, better than a minimal “rubber duck”) and a battery supply sufficient to run at your maximum power if necessary. While you will mostly listen and rarely transmit, the best guide is for 8 hours of battery capability. The ambient noise level may be high, so an inexpensive headset (not just an ear plug) is strongly recommended.

5. To present ourselves as professional and proficient, you must be neatly dressed. The bright orange “Emergency Communications” cap is essential for identification. Local residents and the media will be watching.

6. Expect the media. If you are interviewed, state that you are a ham radio operator, and give only a very brief statement about what your assignment is. Then refer the interviewer to our public relations staff (call Net Control for direction). Please do not offer prolonged descriptions of the joys of ham radio.

NOTE:
More hams are needed. Please spread the word in your local club and to your on-the-air friends! Anyone interested should contact me directly ASAP. We also need you to understand that although we must call for more hams now, final staffing needs may not match the number of ham volunteers. Therefore, a very small possibility exists that we still may not be able to give everyone an assignment.

As the event date gets closer, instead of formal briefings, those who volunteer will receive an email with the assignment, a detailed description of the assignment site and other information.

If you can give this event your help, please contact me as soon as possible. We also need to know if your radio has 2-meters with CTCSS and if you have the 70-cm band. If you have any questions about participation, do not hesitate to contact me.

When you reply, please include the following information:

Your best email address for last minute information. Can you open an MS Word email attachment?

Are you available to drive, and, if assigned on the course (not
assured), would you drive there directly?
Your shirt size.

If you have already informed me that you are available, please reply to this message anyway.

73,

Bob Salow, WA1IDA
508.650.9440 (H)
617.650.0062 (Cell)
wa1ida@arrl.net

C 2008 WA1IDA – S/080907

Tom Kinahan, N1CPE writes on MRAS-Leaders:

The following new courses have been added to the Massachusetts Emergency Management Agency’s training calendar:

Hazmat Awareness at Mass Highway District One on September 26, 2008

Incident Command System 100 at Maynard MRC/Elderly Housing Community Room on September 27, 2008

Incident Command System 400 at DelValle Institute – O’Neill Room on October 23, 2008

NIMS-700 / ICS-100 at Bedford Police Department on October 4, 2008

Visit our web site at http://tinyurl.com/ypzh5y for more details.

Members of the Whitman Amateur Radio Club are active right now at the annual Marshfield Fair with a special event station, NN1MF and Amateur Radio exhibit booth August 15-24. Bill Hayden, N1FRE is coordinating the event.

As in previous years, hams will explain Amateur Radio to the public and introduce youngsters to Morse code. In the past, the crew made approximately 150 contacts with 31 states, 15 foreign countries, and two Canadian provinces.

—Thanks, Whitman ARC Spectrum, August, 2008

Jeff Arnold, K1EMS writes:

On behalf of the American Red Cross First Aid Station Committee of Massachusetts Bay we are asking your help once again this year for the 2008 Head of the Charles Regatta.

This year’s dates are Friday through Sunday, October 17, 18, 19:

Friday, October 17, 12 p.m.-6:30 p.m.
Saturday, October 18 7 a.m.-6 p.m.
Sunday, October 19 7 a.m.-6 p.m.

Because of road closures and ability to shift people around, we need you to be able to commit to a whole day. Please pass this message on to your friends and ham radio clubs.

If you are available to help with ham radio support of this event for any one or all of the days please reply to my email with the following information:

name
address
city
zip
call sign
home phone
cell phone
email address
jacket size
land station or boat station

If you have done this before and would like to be where you were, please let me know that location. We try to give station requests on a first-come, first-serve basis, but if you are returning this year, we will try to give you preference.

APRS–this year we once again hope to have APRS set up for each of the ten rescue boats. We’re not sure what frequency we will be using yet. If you have a tracker box set up and it works, we would like to use it for the weekend. Your unit must have a battery capable of operating the 12-hour day, and a charging cable so that we can charge them up overnight each day.

VHF and/or UHF capability (will let you know as soon as we figure out which we will be using).

We will program these units at CBC before the event or send you the file that will be with your unit.

Thank you all and look forward to hearing back from each of you.

Jeffrey Arnold, K1EMS

**********************************
Jeffrey Arnold
RWJeffA@comcast.net
jarnold@whensecondscount.net
K1EMS@arrl.net

The Harvard Wireless Club will hold its annual student activity fair from 4 to 7 p.m. on September 10, 2008. The rain date is September 17 from 11:00 a.m. to 1:30 p.m.

“This year’s fair will be on the Quad, not at the usual Tercentenary Theater location,” writes HWC’s Clayton M. Nall, NF1R. “We could use at least three to four people to help. Please let me know if you plan to attend.”

The National Weather Service (NWS) and the Taunton Area Communications Group will be presenting a program about the “Realities of New England’s Hurricanes”.

The program will be held at the Morton Hospital and Medical Center, 55 Washington Street, Taunton, Mass. on MONDAY, AUGUST 18TH, 7:00 p.m. in the Margaret Stone Conference Room.

The speaker will be Matthew Belk, Hurricane Program Leader from the National Weather Service in Taunton Mass.

This seminar is open to the public at no charge. Everyone is welcome to attend, especially those who are interested in learning about hurricanes as they affect New England.

The program will discuss:

1. How and when hurricanes form, especially those that affect New England.

2. The strengths and damage potential of hurricanes.

3. The “Rules of Thumb” for hurricanes in New England.

4. Safety Rules for people living where hurricanes strike.

It is not necessary to pre-register for this talk. However, if you have any questions about the program, please contact Matthew Belk at 1-508 823-1900 ext. 405 during normal business hours.

Again, the following seminar is planned for Monday August 18, 2008

From 7:00 PM to 8:30 PM at Morton Hospital, 55 Washington St., Taunton, MA

All are welcome.

The ARRL has chosen Dave Bernstein, AA6YQ, of Wayland, Massachusetts, as the recipient of the 2008 ARRL Technical Innovation Award. The ARRL board voted unanimously at its July 18-19, 2008 board of directors meeting to select AA6YQ for the prestigious annual award.

According to the meeting minutes, “Mr. Bernstein has written and published the DXLab Suite of Programs for Radio Amateurs that he has placed in the public domain for free use and collaboration. A world-class DXer in his own right, he was one of the earliest logging-program authors to integrate functions for ARRL’s Logbook of the World and programs from other developers. His DXLab suite consists of eight programs that cover every aspect of station operation which he supports in a fashion that rivals or exceeds commercial applications and companies. He goes beyond simply supporting DXLab and mentors users in other aspects of programming and Amateur Radio.”

Dave Bernstein, AA6YQ; photo courtesy www.qrz.com

K1VV and K1WCC plan to activate Scituate Light USA742 & Scituate North Jetty USA1273 as W1AA on Saturday, August 2, 2008 from 7:00 AM EDT (1100 UTC) until about 2:00 PM EDT (1800 UTC).

“Whitey” Doherty, K1VV notes that he and Henry will begin operations on 75 meters around 3994 kHz plus/minus. “Later, we will go to 40 phone around 7234 and 7040. On 20, we’ll be on 14270 plus/minus. If there’s too much QRM we will be above 14310.”

K1VV says they will run K1WCC’s station simultaneously and cover two bands. “We have bandpass filters, but we may not be able to run both stations that close to each other.”

DX QSLs can be sent via the Bureau. Stateside cards should be sent to W1AA with a self-addressed, stamped envelope to the QRZ.com address.

“All are welcome to come by,” says Whitey. “We will be set up in the parking area next to the light. [Look for the] silver 2007 Toyota Tacoma pickup with a 33-foot mast on the back of the truck.”

Tom Kinahan, N1CPE writes on MRAS-Leaders:

The following new courses have been added to the Massachusetts Emergency Management Agency’s training calendar:

* Hazmat Awareness at Brockton VA Hospital BLDG #22 on September 10, 2008

* Incident Command System 100 at Newburyport High School, Room 127 on August 20, 2008

* Incident Command System 100 at Boxborough Woods Holiday Inn on August 22, 2008

Visit our web site at http://tinyurl.com/ypzh5y for more details.